


The truth about lies

by pernickety



Category: Wallander (UK TV)
Genre: Arson, F/M, Witness Protection, based on a prompt i can't find anymore, magnus martinsson investigates, tiny tiny case of arson, tom hiddleston - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-25 09:23:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1643666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pernickety/pseuds/pernickety
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus Martinsson gets to take the lead in an investigation for the first time. </p><p>Initially the case looks unpromising, but turns out to be... kinda huge. International intrigue, mafia, contrabandistas, that kind of kinda huge. Magnus has a witness who needs his protection from criminals. Can Magnus handle the pressure? Will the FBI muscle in and take over his case? Will Magnus' feelings for the witness put them both in jeopardy? </p><p>Based on a prompt on tumblr that I can't find anymore.</p><p>Apologies to anyone who knows and loves Sweden. I don't know it. Marhuslan, where most of the action takes place, is made up. I hope the word I made up doesn't mean something rude in Swedish.<br/>Most of the names I use are place names I got off a map of Sweden. I didn't name anyone Stockholm yet, but there's still a few chapters to go, so look out for that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The truth about lies

"This is special agent Carter, I'm calling about a witness in your custody.."

"Hilarious." Magnus says before hanging up. 

Now that the case has broken, the station has been under siege from journalists. The phone lines are constantly busy with interview requests. One reporter dressed up as a pizza delivery guy and tried to enter the station. Anka, who works in the cafeteria, had been sidestepped by someone who offered her 4000 Krona if she managed to snap a photo of the witness. News crews aren't the only problem. Several of the policemen working at the station have received cryptic emails full of vague threats. Some very unsavory elements were trying to get to the witness. 

 

When the case came in a month ago, it didn't look like much and nobody wanted it. 

Over the past months several of the small fishing huts that can be found on most of the beaches along the south coast have been burnt down. 

Arson cases are difficult as most of what could be evidence is destroyed in the fire. In these particular arson cases nobody had been injured and the damage was minimal. These huts are basically a few wooden boards nailed together. A place for hobbyist anglers to store their lunch or take shelter from the rain. No witnesses had come forward and the local police had run down all leads without any result.

Everyone at the station expected the case to remain unsolved, that is why nobody would take it. An unsolved arson case does not look good in a personnel file, especially with the next round of promotions on the horizon. 

So the case landed on Magnus's desk. It's his first opportunity to lead an investigation and he is a little bit excited. Plus, Magnus figured, at least he'd get out of the office for a while. Get some fresh air, maybe he'll get lucky and catch the guy.

Magnus takes the train from Ystad and then travels the final part of the way to Marhuslan in a taxi. It's an idyllic part of the country. From the car window he can see a bay surrounded by rolling hills covered in dense forrest almost down to the pebble beach shore. The blue water of the bay is peppered with a handful of small islands. It's a dream for the sort of people who dream of fishing and bird watching. Magnus isn't one of them. 

The taxi drops him off in front of the police station. It's closed. 

Magnus fishes his mobile phone out of his pocket, but there is no reception here. Feeling slightly deflated, Magnus sits on the stone steps of the station and waits. 

A portly man in a heavy jumper stomps up the road in a pair of Wellington boots. He seems to be walking his alsatian. 

"Are you the detective inspector?"

"Detective sergeant." Magnus corrects. "Magnus. My name is Magnus Martinsson." 

"I'm constable Skäne. I'll be working _with_ you." The emphasis is on "with" Magnus notices. " _With_ " as oppose to "under", he's sure. So this is it, Magnus is on his first case as the leader of a two person team. He'll have to get along with Skäne, so he makes the effort.

"And who is this?" Magnus bends down and wants to pet the dog. It snaps at him. 

"That's Castro. Don't take it personally. He doesn't like anyone." Skäne explains as he unlocks the door of the police station. "We've got you a room at the Inn up the road. You're the only guest there, tourist season around here doesn't pick up for another, oh, two months maybe. But Maria said she'd take care of you." 

"That's... great. Thank you." Magnus hesitates. "It's pretty late. The sun will be down soon. I think we should start tomorrow."

"Yes, get some sleep."

"Yes."

The hotel room is large, dark and minimally furnished, but the water in the bath is hot and the bed is soft and Magnus sleeps deeply and without dreaming.

 

The next morning after breakfast Skäne picks him up in his 4x4 and they drive through the rain on dirt paths along the coast. A few hours later they stand next to each other under a leaky umbrella that is too small for two grown men to share and look at a square patch of charred wood and ash. 

It is the fourth square patch of charred wood and ash they'd seen that day.

At each one Magnus takes pictures. Not of the piles of ash, but the surroundings. Nothing has caught his eye so far. The view from each hut was a variation of  a theme of beach, trees and bay. 

Magnus points at one of the islands in the bay. It can be seen from each of the huts. "Does anyone live there?"

"No. That's been part of the nature reserve for years. To do with nesting grounds for some kind of protected bird. You wouldn't want to build there anyways. Floods every time there's a storm."

Magnus nodded. "Where can I get my pictures printed out?"

"We have a printer at the station, but the color cartridge has been a bit funny lately. If you want to actually see anything in the pictures, you'll have to go across. There's a chemists and they have a machine."

"How do I..." Magnus trailed off. He could tell all these questions didn't instill a great deal of confidence in his leadership. Skäne could tell how much he was out of his depths.  _Get this. Bring me that. Find the evidence. Bring the car round._ That's how lead investigators should talk. 

"Boat." Skäne gestured some roofs that were visible between the trees on the other side of the bay. "There's a road that goes around, but that's at least an hour. On the water it's minutes. I'll call Isabelle. She takes bird watchers around in summer. She knows the place well."

"Thank you." Magnus says as water seeps into his shoes and waterlogs his socks. "Let's get out of here."


End file.
